Improvement in spring-seats for vehicles



QM e 1 c 1 V K M E21 V E a e S u n 1 r p S Patented May 28,1878.

v WITNESSES MENTOR 7 WJM/f MM flan ATTORNEY N,PE\'ERS. PHOTOUTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, -D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

JOSIAH T. YERKES,

OF STUART, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING-SEATS FOR VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,411, dated May 28,1878; application filed December 31, 1877.

To all whomt't may concern;

Be it known that I, JOSIAH T. YERKES, of Stuart, in the county ofGuthrie and State of Iowa, have invented an Improved Spring Wagon-Seat,whereof the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the drawing, and the letters and figures marked thereon, inwhich- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of this invention appliedto a wagon-box, and Fig. 2 represents a bottom view, showing the doublerectangular cross-braces.

This invention has relation to spring wagonseats; and it consists in theconstruction and novel arrangement of the oblique cross-braces bearingthe series of end springs upon which the seat rests, as hereinaftershown and described.

In the accompanying drawing, the letters a a designate the obliquebraces, which are arranged under the seat, and each of which extendsnearly the entire length of the same. These braces are designed to bespring-bars, preferably made of round spring-steel rods bent into theform of elongated rectangular loops, open at their lower and outer ends,which are fashioned into hooks or fastenings b for attachment to therail or margin of a wagon-box. From their attachment they extend upwardunder the seat obliquely, each nearly to the opposite end of said seat,thus crossing each other at the middle of the same, one loop-brace beingusually made of less width than the other to facilitate this crossing.

Upon the lower ends of these spring-braces are arranged and secured thebase-boards c c, which support the bases of the series of end springs 12, the upper ends of which are attached to the bottom of the wagon-seatd, as shown.

The upper end of each spring-brace a is rectangular, and its transverseportion a is nearly as long as the seat is wide from before backward,thereby affording a broad bearing to support the seat against rockingbackward or forward. This transverse portion or bearing a of thebrace-loop a is connected to the bottom of the wagon-seat by means ofelongated loops or slot-plates f f, which are located just inside therectangular bends of the brace a, as shown, and serve as stops toprevent the seat from sliding backward or forward, while they givesufficient play to the ends of the oblique braces in the direction ofthe length of the seat.

Undue sliding or parallel motion in the direction of the length of theseat is also prevented by these oblique braces, which hold the seat oneach side by connecting the slotplates f with the wagon-box. These pairsof slot plates or loops allow the cross-portions of the spring-braces a,to slide therein when the end springs are compressed by the weight onthe seat, and when they recoil, said weight being removed, the upperends of the springs 1 2 are connected usually to cleats g g, which aresecured across the ends of the seat-board, as shown.

As the spring-braces a a extend nearly the entire length of the seatunderneath, in opposite directions, they will form low angles relativeto each other where they cross at their middle portions and relative tothe seat when they slide in the slot-plates; therefore they will slideeasily under the seat without grating, and will have strength to act asstops to withstand a twisting-strain upon the seat, which is apt tooccur when it is occupied at one end only.

In this manner is formed a strong spring wagon-seat, which is designedto be braced against parallel movements forward, backward, or sidewise,rocking movements forward and backward, and twisting motions, while itis free to act vertically in accordance with the movements of the endsprings.

I am aware that spiral springs fixed on blocks having hooks attached,and compensating stay-rods sliding in bearings carried by said blocks,have been combined with a seat-board; and I am also aware that slidingbraces supporting the end springs upon which the seat rests have beenconnected to bracket slideways under the middle of the seat; hence I donot claim such inventions.

WhatIciaim,and desire to secure by Letters prongs of said brace, saidarms supporting Patent, is the bases of the seat-springs, substantiallyas The combination, with the seat d, of the specified. doublerectangular cross-braces a a, each JOSIAH THOMAS YERKES. formed in asingle piece, and connected to \Vitnesses: slide-loops f f under theseat ends by the trans- ZENAS PLUMB, verse portion a, connecting the twoarms or J. Q. NELSON.

